Item Summary:Artifact assemblage dedicated to forty-three (43) veterans (and Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) Wall honorees) of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines (2/4), 3rd Marine Division killed during the Battle of Con Thien, Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam on September 21, 1967 and consisting of forty-four (44) votive candles, a printed report on the Battle of Con Thien, and a VVM name rubbing sheet. The printed report discusses the surrounding terrain and circumstances precipitating the action between the 2/4 Marines and NVA forces at Con Thien, while the VVM name rubbing sheet features a graphite pencil impression of U.S. Marine Corps Private First Class (PFC) Jimmy Allen Darnell's name upon The Wall. The artifact assemblage was left at The Wall by an anonymous donor between September - October 2009.

Associated Item Text:
Text of the various inscriptions upon COMPONENTS (A - C) is transcribed in full, as follows: [COMPONENT (A), exterior, obverse object surfaces, printed label inscriptions] "[see "Soldier (s) Name)" field above for complete list]" / [COMPONENT (A), exterior, reverse object surfaces, manufacturer/supplier label, printed inscription] "CAUTION / KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN / 0 77291 84015 8 / TUMBLER/WHITE" / [COMPONENT (A), object under-surfaces, raised lettering inscription] "BRIGHT GLOW CANDLE" / [COMPONENT (B), obverse object surface (page #1), printed inscription] "SECOND BATTALION 4TH MARINES / SECOND TO NONE / THE MAGNIFICENT BASTARDS / SEPTEMBER 21, 1967 / 2nd BATTALION, 4th MARINES (THE 2/4), 3rd MARINE DIVISION, / COMMANDED BY LT. COLONEL JAMES W. HAMMOND, JR. / CON THIEN, QUANG TRI PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM / The terrain around Con Thien consisted of rolling hills with steep, heavily wooded draws. / The area is dotted with 100 meter square open plots of ground bordered by heavy bamboo and thorn brush woodlines [sic]. / Vegetation consisted of thick underbrush which was advantageous to the movement and escape of the enemy. / Water was not easily obtainable. / Weather during the period 12 September to 31 October varied from heavy rain to moderately hot clear days. / Day time temperatures reached 100 deg. [sic] / The 2/4's mission was to conduct search and destroy operations, defend combat base areas, open and secure lines of communications with the OA, maintain ground surveillance and screening operations and conduct spoiling attacks against NVA/VC forces. / On the 13th of September, the North Vietnamese had waged a major attack on the Con Thien outpost with artillery, mortars and heavy machine guns supporting their attacking force. / The Marines successfully fought them off and the NVA failed to breach the perimeter wire. / For the next 7 days the NVA tried a different tactic...it barraged the outpost with mortars and rockets. / Thereafter the Marines went on the offensive. / On September 21, 1967, Lt. Col. Hammond's battalion began a search and destroy operation 1,800 meters east of Con Thien. / Because of the muddy conditions, tanks could not be used to support the operation. / The Marines issued 20 minutes of preparatory fire from its own mortars and then Echo, Foxtrot, Gold and Hotel companies began its search and destroy mission. / At 7:00 am, Echo and Foxtrot Companies of Hammond's battalion moved out on line with Echo to the north of Foxtrot. / Foxtrot Company, was on point. / Movement through the terrain was slow due tot the terraced features of the terrain, and the interlacing, thickly matted hedgerows. / Golf and Hotel companies remained within the perimeter waiting for the rear elements of Echo and Foxtrot to clear the perimeter. / Hotel Company remained within the perimeter, realigned its troops to cover positions vacated by the three departing companies. / 81mm mortars were registered on targets to the east and northeast to cover the advancing units. / As companies E and F advanced, the visual contact between the 2 units was lost due to the thick hedgerows. / At approximately 0750, the advance element of Company F received sniper rounds and an extremely heavy concentration of automatic weapons from their front and left flank. / The lead platoon returned fire and went forward across the open rice paddy" / [COMPONENT (B), reverse object surface (page #2), printed inscription] "[...] toward better ground. / The hedgerows surrounding the dry rice paddies afforded very good cover and concealment for the enemy and it was impossible for the Marines to detect the NVA position until they were fired upon. / The NVA opened fire with heavy automatic weapons when Company F was at a distance of 30 feet. / Many casualties were inflicted and the platoon was pinned down. / Company E moving in a southerly direction to link with Company F ran headlong into the north perimeter of the bunker complex and almost simultaneously received heavy fire from their front and left flank. / Two marines were mortally wounded only 10 meters from the well concealed enemy position. / They then came under mortar and artillery fire. / Company F, having advanced almost to the hedgerow was engaged in a heavy volume of automatic weapons fire, pinning them in their exposed positions. / A grenade duel developed, and booby-traps placed within the hedgerow restricted friendly penetrations. / The close proximity of the Marines to the enemy position also restricted the use of artillery and mortar fires. / Company E, being pinned down, could offer no help to company F. / Lt. Col. Hammond directed Company G to position itself on the east side of the NVA fortified positions and get ready to assault their bunkers. / Company G swept southward from the perimeter, then turned east closing on the enemy position. / They then turned north to assault the inverted T of the NVA positions. / The enemy had many automatic weapons located in well camouflaged positions. / He was supported by accurate mortar fire. / Company G assault elements had to cross 150 meters of open terrain to reach the enemy position. The assault elements were unable to secure the objective. / Meanwhile Company F was able to pass into the Company E perimeter and immediately the LZ received a heavy volume of enemy mortar fire. / The two companies then provided covering fire for Company G. / Enemy mortar fire continued to rain down on their position. / And small arms fire was very heavy. / It was estimated that the 2/4 had run into a major fortification four hundred meters long and just as deep. / The enemy was observed to direct automatic weapons fire on those wounded who attempted to crawl to safety as well as to periodically riddle those lying motionless in the open. / The battle raged for the entire day. / Uncommon acts of valor became the order of the day. / Light was fading when the NVA broke contact and disappeared into the brush and their well concealed bunkers. / Bursts of enemy mortars and artillery continued to fall on the companies. / It is estimated that the battalion engaged an NVA Regiment with numerous automatic weapons, light mortars, and M79s. / Marine casualties were 31 dead, of which 15 were not recovered due to the intensive fire, and 118 wounded. / During the battle two Marines earned medals for their valorous actions on that day. / Cpl. Jedh Barker received the Medal of Honor and Cpl. Tiago Reis received the Navy Cross. / Both medals were awarded posthumously. / On October 10, 1967 the 2/4 went back and retrieved the bodies of their fallen buddies." / [COMPONENT (C), obverse object surface, printed & graphite inscriptions] "Vietnam Veterans Memorial / JIMMY A DARNELL" / [COMPONENT (C), reverse object surface, printed inscriptions] "Locating a Name / All the names, with panel and line location, are listed in an alphabetical directory at the memorial. / Also, if the date of casualty is known, the guide below shows how to find any par-ticular [sic] time so the name can be searched out. / Vietnam Veterans Memorial / Washington, D.C. / National Park Service / U.S. Department of the Interior / Date Panel-Line [repeated four (4) times as a column heading] / July 1959 1E-1 / January 1962 1E-4 / January 1963 1E-15 / January 1964 1E-39 / January 1965 1E-81 / April 1965 1E-99 / July 1965 2E-26 / October 1965 2E-100 / November 1965 3E-10 / December 1965 3E-119 / January 1966 4E-47 / February 1966 4E-127 / March 1966 5E-92 / April 1966 6E-70 / May 1966 7E-15 / June 1966 7E-130 / July 1966 8E-114 / August 1966 9E-92 / September 1966 10E-59 / October 1966 11E-32 / November 1966 12E-2 / December 1966 12E-131 / January 1967 13E-106 / February 1967 14E-102 / March 1967 15E-124 / April 1967 17E-83 / May 1967 19E-2 / June 1967 21E-25 / July 1967 22E-90 / August 1967 24E-58 / September 1967 25E-76 / October 1967 27E-35 / November 1967 28E-107 / December 1967 31E-20 / January 1968 33E-11 / February 1968 36E-45 / March 1968 42E-12 / April 1968 47E-29 / May 1968 53E-27 / June 1968 62W-19 / July 1968 54W-25 / August 1968 50W-40 / September 1968 45W-18 / October 1968 42W-52 / November 1968 40W-70 / December 1968 37W-15 / January 1969 35W-14 / February 1969 33W-30 / March 1969 31W-98 / April 1969 28W-101 / May 1969 26W-89 / June 1969 23W-34 / July 1969 21W-41 / August 1969 20W-82 / September 1969 18W-18 / October 1969 17W-21 / November 1969 16W-11 / December 1969 15W-12 / January 1970 15W-113 / February 1970 14W-88 / March 1970 13W-70 / April 1970 12W-64 / May 1970 11W-78 / June 1970 10W-129 / July 1970 9W-108 / August 1970 8W-73 / September 1970 7W-29 / October 1970 7W-102 / November 1970 6W-33 / December 1970 6W-100 / January 1971 5W-19 / February 1971 5W-71 / March 1971 4W-13 / April 1971 4W-98 / May 1971 3W-21 / June 1971 3W-60 / July 1971 3W-96 / July 1971 3W-96 / August 1971 3W-120 / September 1971 2W-7 / October 1971 2W-32 / November 1971 2W-58 / December 1971 2W-82 / January 1972 2W-94 / February 1972 2W-103 / March 1972 2W-112 / April 1972 2W-126 / May 1972 1W-10 / June 1972 1W-34 / July 1972 1W-51 / October 1972 1W-76 / January 1973 1W-108 / January 1975 1W-121 / Panel # / Line # _"

Item Dimensions and Weight:

Item Weight: 250.0g (Weight of single candle of COMPONENT (A) only

Item Length: N/A

Item Width: N/A

Item Height: 8.5cm

Item Depth: 6.0cm (Diameter) / 18.8cm (Circumference)

Item Notes:Dimensions listed above are for a single candle of COMPONENT (A) only, although measurements for all forty-four (44) candles are identical. Measurements for COMPONENTS (B & C) are as follows:

COMMENTS

Items left at The Wall - The Virtual Collection

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on November 13, 1982. Shortly thereafter, visitors to the Memorial began leaving items in memoriam to those killed and missing service members listed on The Wall. These artifacts now collectively comprise the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection -- a museum collection of more than 400,000 items held in the public trust by the National Park Service. Today, this Collection is among the largest and most actively researched collections in the National Capital Region.

The Collection is jointly curated by National Mall and Memorial Parks and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). The VVMF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies upon public donations to continue its work, and receives no federal funding.

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BUILD THE CENTER

We must never forget the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. There is no better time to honor their service. Help us build the Education Center at The Wall so their legacies are never forgotten.

I hereby authorize the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Inc. (VVMF) and its corporate and organizational sponsors to use, reproduce,
and/or publish all photographs and/or comments that I am submitting in any manner that VVMF deems appropriate in
furtherance of VVMF's mission, including its campaign to build an Education Center on the National Mall.

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About VVMF

Based in Arlington, Virginia, VVMF (the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund) is the nonprofit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1980 to build a national memorial dedicated to all who served with the U.S. armed forces in the Vietnam War. Incorporated on April 27, 1979 by a group of veterans led by Jan C. Scruggs, the organization sought a tangible symbol of recognition from the American people for those who served in the war.